How Facebook boosted this travel pillow business more than TV

Trtl was featured on BBC Two's Dragons' Den, but it was social media which really increased sales

Thursday 08 November 2018 08:41 EST
Shares on Facebook have given Michael Corrigan’s travel pillow firm a major boost
Shares on Facebook have given Michael Corrigan’s travel pillow firm a major boost

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Michael Corrigan, CEO of Trtl, the travel pillow business, believes that one of his company’s best decisions was turning down a £200,000 investment at the 11th hour — even though it meant having to pay thousands of pounds in legal fees.

“Our gut feeling was that the goals of the investors were not aligned with what we wanted to do,” he says. “We decided to walk away and focus our attention on visiting the travel retail fair at Cannes.”

It was a gamble that paid off. Despite struggling to afford the trip, the wide variety of retailers, distributors and travel bloggers he met in those few days changed the direction of the business and resulted in press coverage.

“That wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t walk away from the money,” he says. “Sales will exceed £10m this year and we haven’t taken any bank finance — there’s just been a bit of an overdraft and the belief to back ourselves.”

Corrigan was inspired to become an entrepreneur after listening to a talk by Sir Tom Farmer, the founder of tyre business Kwik-Fit, when he was studying mechanical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, in 2009.

However, it was while brainstorming with friends as to how long train journeys could be made more comfortable that a business idea took shape. They eventually came up with the concept of a scarf with a hidden internal neck support.

Although the venture has been featured on a BBC Scotland documentary and on hit TV show Dragons’ Den, social media has arguably played a more significant role over the past few years.

“We were selling around five units every day, but after being featured in an online article this went up to five an hour,” Corrigan explains. “The story was then shared on Facebook and we ended up selling more than 1,000 in eight hours. It was absolutely game-changing.”

The company is poised to sell its one millionth unit this month, and has sent its products into more than 70 countries. A Kickstarter campaign for a fully adjustable version, Trtl Pillow Plus, has already raised more than £180,000 in pledges.

Corrigan insists it’s important to enjoy the process — and never give up. “You need to love the day-to-day grind and realise it’s about the journey,” he says. “It’s also important to find the right people and be clear about your values.”

Facebook Community Boost

Facebook Community Boost is coming to London on a mission to enhance your digital skills, expand your network and grow your business with a two-day event on 13 and 14 November. To find out more, visit facebook.com/communityboostlondon

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in